The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1887-07-29

we driftlng,' and can We continue to
thus b!indly drift in safety?
The working people if goaded to des-
peration, have the strength of a Samp
son. The extremely rich and the ez':
tremoly poor arc opposing forces-tho
dangerous classes in society are on the
increase Again L call the Chicago
/ papers, statistioian to the witness stand.
Undor the hoadirg, "C4use Of the de-
cline" meaning farming, he uses tho
following language: ''In the condition
Of the farming population Of Illinois
the richest agricultural State in the
| Union, there is food for serious thought.
Why, with the general increase in
wealth, the increase in purchasing
power Of the wages now paid the trades
and professions, the enormous expansion
in traffic and business-why do we fad
tic condition Of the farmers unimprov-
ed, or worse even than ten, twenty or
thirty years ago; discontontod and rest
less, piling up mortgages drifting To-
] wards pcasan;Fy and seT!dom?" Agri-
culture, moro than oil else, lies at the
basis Of our prosperity, and there must
: be something abnormal in our funda-
damantal conditions when the creative
half Of tho population enjoys less of the
fruits of its laho1s than the dependent
Industries, trader and professions; when
. stupondiously Increasing aggregation
iof wealth and population FL citias is
attended by a diniauaaion in numb ers
Of the agricultural CLASSES
+. IF q farmer had eaid SO much SIS this
he would be called gruublor. But
be that as il may, | ask, who gets oil
the profit on farming? 1t goes mainly
TO the tax,gatherer, money-loauor and
Transportation companies. For want of
time I will discuss tho profits on only
one Of these-trauspo.tatiQn companies
and see if they be enc Of the robbers.
Here again submit facts stronger
than any words OF mine. Here / stop
to remark that We arc all proud Of cur
railroad system and its management
In it we have State pride; system
Surprising that Of any other State in
the Union. Their management is in
the hands of men Of ability, and integ-
,sity too, The men are intrustea with
these immense properties to make mon
ey for the companies, and in this, are
doing what thousands Of other good
men would do under ike circumstances.
'rho wrOng is mainly in e system Of
lava aQd the m:nistfation thereof,
that permits corporations to take advan
! tago Of the people. Here, then, is the
railroad and warehouse Commissioners
report for the yerc 1884. Thcse reports
arc made up from the books Of corpa
tions, aud are said 70 be substantially
correct. Ga page Az is t,blo giving
earnings, expenses and net income for
that year, from their Illinois business"
This table includes all the railroads in
the State, Or. SO much Of each one az is
within The State also. [ fad their total
income from all sources for 1884, $685.
! 1929. Operating expenses, repairs
and taxes, $50, 473 .227. Balance Of net
profit OF that years business. S20,097,.
Ssh. Pretty good; it is near thirty.six
per cent Of tho entire gross receipts,
Fer the year 1885 I fad the balance Of
profit TO be some more, but will omit
the figures. Then what was the differ
once in profits between the farmers and
tho railroad ompanies, upon their re-
spoctive business, for the year 1881,
within the State? The railroad con-
panios had net income ofS20 ,009, 564.
But how did the account stand with the
farmers? {Seo Agricultural Report, vol
1879
| On production ofoorn crop 1881, loss
iSl1,780, $50; on production of wheat
tcrop 1881, loss S, 897, $3.50; Total loss
on cora and wheat that year, S20,G77,.
9l8; showing loss Of nearly 100000
moro than railroad company'a net gain
To meet these loses, and pay taz.gath
erer aud mouey,loanor, mortgages had
TO be made. The better to show who
gets the money, please note the fellow
ing: KS stated above, the total income
fogaIl &c roads in The Safe for year
1854 was 65G,45z ,238. Now, how
much Of the farmers produce would be
required to pay this sum? Value OF
beet cattle, sold same year 822, 52l.246;
value Of hogs sold same year, $780,
. 522; value Of surplus wheat sold same
! year IS, 109,622; Total SGl,G07,623.
| (Sce Agricultural Report Vol. 22)
Sales from beef cattle, hogs and
wheat, comprise nearly ali OF the farm
ers annual income. From these sales
VIC received $50, 607,G23, and p-.It
transportation companies in the same
time S5G,457, 288. The tax gathorer
and money-leuder got the balance.
Who gets the money? Does farming
lpay2 NJ! It has ceased to pay! And is
there not here a reason, q good aud sui
faicut reason Why agricultural counties
are being depopulatel? II this state Of
things shall continue doPopulation will
20 on until the survival Of the fttost
only remain. We hear people boast Of